CLEVELAND — A Mentor basketball star is making not just his team and community proud, but also his family. As the team competes for a state championship, there’s one player whose success on the court you could say is part of a family tradition.
Luke Chicone shoots around before a big practice — getting ready to play with a team that means a lot to him.
“I’ve been playing with most of them since I was like four or five years old. I went to elementary school and middle school with them, so, I mean, being in this room with them is something special,” Luke said.
The Youngstown State University commit continues his warm-up for a sport he’s played almost his whole life.
“I’ve just always kind of been around it. It’s been in my family for 30 – 40 years now. My grandpa’s been a basketball coach, all of my uncles and my dad, so I mean, as soon as I learned how to dribble a ball, I’ve just been around the game,” he said
He shows off his ball skills — skills the point guard has been working on since he started going to basketball camps at a young age.
“It was always very fun. You know, they threw me out there at such a young age, where I barely knew how to play basketball and I was always competing, so that’s where I think I found my love for the game,” Luke said.
Those basketball camps were run by none other than Luke’s grandfather, John Carroll coaching legend Mike Moran. Luke wasn’t the only family member to go to one of those camps.
“I guess some families have family trees, we have a family basketball hoop,” Moran said.
The former Blue Streaks head coach has six kids and up to 20 grandchildren. His family has become a basketball dynasty.
His son, Pete, is now the JCU head coach, with his son, Pat, as an assistant. The family also has other successful coaching and playing careers at the high school and college level, but Moran will tell you, it’s not about basketball, it’s about the character.
“You know what, we just want good kids. Basic line. And I think that’s what we’re most proudest of. You know, when somebody comes up and says, ‘hey, we met one of your grandkids and they’re classy or they have their heads on their shoulders right’ that means a lot to us,” Moran said.
And for Moran, seeing his grandson have tremendous success while setting the right example, has made him a proud grandfather.
“I think he’s shown up his grandfather and his uncles. That’s for sure! You know what, the thing about the young man, Lukey, he’s a better person off the floor than he is a player on the floor. He’s pretty exceptional, and again I’m a proud grandfather, but, you know, you take him off the floor and you have an even brighter shining gem,” he said.
And that family tree has helped Luke have tremendous success, and a legacy he wants to continue.
“Growing up, I always looked up to my uncles, my dad and my grandpa, and so it’s big shoes to fill. And my grandpa and my dad actually have state titles themselves, and so for me, to get one of those for the family tradition to keep going, that would be something special,” Luke said.
